


Cut Your Hair

by arisaema



Category: Free!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Confessions, Feelings, Fluff, Haircuts, Kissing, M/M, Scheming, fluff and tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-29
Updated: 2016-08-30
Packaged: 2018-01-26 23:37:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1706741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arisaema/pseuds/arisaema
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei was stroking, slow and deliberate, through his hair, and Nagisa’s eyes went wide. He wanted to lean into it, to rub his head into Rei’s hand like a cat, but instead he kept himself still, hardly daring to breathe. He knew that Rei was likely just measuring the unacceptable length of it against his fingers, noting the split ends and levels of probable grease. His fingernails, though! They had just grazed Nagisa’s scalp, and his hands, oh no. They tugged at his curls, pulling them sideways for a better look. Shivers spawned from every place on Nagisa's head that Rei’s fingers had touched, vibrating across the back of Nagisa’s neck and down his spine.</p><p>“You are extremely overdue for a haircut."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am way more like Rei, as a person, so I dunno why I decided to write this from Nagisa's POV, but HERE WE GO.
> 
> This will probably not be a huge multichaptered epic- expect about 4 chapters? And a lot of sweetness and sneakiness and fluff. And OTP haircuts.

The sun was setting, and Nagisa’s stomach was making noises. It had been over an hour since his last snack (ice cream from the stand in the middle of the park that Rei bought for him without him even having to ask). He hadn’t so much as turned the page in his history textbook in at least ten minutes. He’d been dutifully reading and taking notes for a while, though (taking breaks to doodle penguins, watch other people in the park do way more interesting things than study, or rest his forehead on Rei’s arm across the small stone table). It was time to be done homeworking. He was sure of it.

He turned toward Rei, prepared to pry him off his books and march him down the street to where they always parted ways on their walk home. Nagisa jumped when he looked at him, though, a flush rushing to his cheeks. Rei was not, as expected, taking boring notes in his boring notebook. He was looking at Nagisa intently, his eyebrows knitted together in concentration, his mouth turned down. Nagisa had seen this look on his friend’s face before. It meant Rei disapproved of something. From the way he was staring, it was probably something about Nagisa’s appearance.

Nagisa looked quickly down at himself to check what it might be this time. His shirt was mostly not wrinkled, his fingernails were clean, and his shoes only a little scuffed (but, oh, he realized, Rei couldn’t see those under the table, anyway). He tested his tie with nervous fingers- tied tight enough, considering school was over for the day. His face? Was there some leftover smudge of ice cream on it? He reached up to his cheek to see, but everything felt smooth. Not bad, really, all in all! He wiggled a bit in his seat, proud of himself for being so put together but still not sure why he deserved the look Rei was giving him. He tilted his head and smiled.

“Rei-chan is staring.”

“It is just...” Rei started, trailing off. He huffed, pursing his lips. “Your hair.”

He said it like Nagisa’s hair had committed some heinous crime. His fingers said otherwise, though, because all of a sudden his hand had lifted to tangle itself in the blonde curls, and Nagisa froze. Rei’s hand was in his hair! In his _hair_ like that was a thing that was _normal_ for him to do, which it _definitely_ _wasn’t_.

Nagisa’s hands had been in Rei’s hair before. That was nothing, though, because Nagisa’s hands had also tugged at Rei’s earlobes, and clutched his arm, and pinched his cheeks and sometimes even his backside (which sometimes Rei would allow and sometimes he wouldn’t). Aside from the fact that Nagisa was just generally touchy with everyone, he found ways to get his hands on Rei as often as they could be. He did it to make up for the fact that he couldn’t put his lips on him, which is what he really wanted to do.

The thrill of Rei’s hand in his hair was unprecedented, though. Casual touch wasn’t something Rei did very often.

And Rei, by some miracle, hadn’t pulled back yet. He was stroking, slow and deliberate, through his hair, and Nagisa’s eyes went wide. He wanted to lean into it, to rub his head into Rei’s hand like a cat, but instead he kept himself still, hardly daring to breathe. He was sure that the tiniest movement would scare Rei’s hand away. He knew that Rei was likely just measuring the unacceptable length of it against his fingers, noting the split ends and levels of probable grease.

His _fingernails_ , though! They had just grazed Nagisa’s scalp, and his hands, _oh no_. Nagisa had known before that they were big, that Rei’s palm was broad and his fingers were long and graceful. But now he could tell from actual hand-in-hair experience that they were soft and gentle and warm. They tugged at his curls, pulling them sideways for a better look. Shivers spawned from every place on his head that Rei’s fingers had touched, vibrating across the back of Nagisa’s neck and down his spine.

“You are extremely overdue for a haircut,” Rei said, dropping his hand from behind Nagisa’s ear, grazing his jaw on the way.

_Ah, so that was it._

Nagisa nodded, struggling to keep eyelids from staying closed too long as he blinked away the rush of feeling in his chest. Glad he hadn’t let himself expect more, he forced the world to slide into sharper focus. It was easier, now that his head wasn’t being cradled by Rei’s hand, and the tricky gears in his brain started turning the way he was used to. He could work with this.

“I’ll get it cut soon,” he said, smiling sweetly, calmly, like every one of his cells wasn’t thrumming with the excitement of having been touched by Rei, “don’t worry.”

Having pulled himself together, he yawned, arching his back as he stretched. He flopped his weight down on the pile of books in front of them, slapping Rei’s notebook with his hands.

“It’s getting dark, Rei-chan,” he said, drawing his hands back up into fists under his chin, leaning on his elbows in what he hoped was the most enticing and sympathetic pose possible for a boy who did not want to do homework any longer, “Walk me to my house?”

Rei nodded once and set to gathering his things. The resigned smile Nagisa always worked so hard to pull from Rei was tugging at the corners of his cheeks, and Nagisa breathed a little easier, seeing it. He tossed his school books into his bag, ready to be done with being still, ready to accidentally-on-purpose brush against Rei as they walked home together.

As Rei was busy carefully placing his things into the correct pockets of his backpack, Nagisa reached his own hand up to feel the length of his hair, his fingers sliding through it as casually as possible. It _was_ getting long. Ordinarily his mother would be cornering him for a trim when it got this length. All of a sudden, he was determined to keep her scissors away from it as long as he could manage.

He knew Rei. He wouldn’t let the issue drop. He’d be commenting on Nagisa’s need for a trim every time he thought of it, which would hopefully be often. The idea of Rei thinking about his hair, and- _ah!_ -maybe touching it, and him, again, made Nagisa shiver with glee. He needed it to happen as soon as possible. He was well versed in the art of subtly manipulating Rei. He knew what he had to do.

On the walk home, his heavy bag slung on his shoulder and his elbow linked in Rei’s, Nagisa chatted idly about nothing, waiting until he knew Rei was looking at him. When it happened, he tucked a curl behind his ear, slowly, tilting his head away from Rei. He let the cool evening breeze play with the strands curling against his neck. Rei made a low, strangled noise, quickly turning to look straight ahead again. Nagisa smiled broadly at Rei like he hadn’t noticed, like he hadn’t planned it. Nagisa squeezed Rei’s arm and kept walking, the insides of him churning with the weight of his plans.

When they got to Nagisa’s house, he launched himself onto Rei with his regular level of hug enthusiasm. Rei patted him gingerly on the head in return, like he always did, but his fingers dug again into Nagisa’s hair, just for a tiny moment, before he pulled away.

He cleared his throat and nodded. “Good night, Nagisa-kun. I will see you tomorrow.”  

Nagisa stood in his doorway, arms clutching his sides against the cool of the night and the rush of having been touched (actually, gently, and purposefully) by Rei. He watched Rei’s shoulders bunch up as he walked away. Nagisa bit back a smile, tugging once more at the tendrils of his hair brushing his neck. He would not be cutting it anytime soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagisa has so many plans to get Rei's hands back in his hair. None of them work like he'd intended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SO SORRY THIS TOOK 6 MONTHS TO UPDATE. I got distracted by life and yowapeda, but I always intended to finish this fic. There will be 1 or 2 more chapters (depending on how I break it up) but I promise not to take so long next time. Thanks to Autoeuphoric for the quick beta.

Nagisa stood in front of his mirror, tugging at the ends of his hair, willing it to grow faster. In the two excruciating days since Rei had first brought it up, Nagisa had caught him staring at his hair more than few times, but he hadn’t touched it again, and he hadn’t said anything. Nagisa was getting impatient.

He sighed at his reflection, a puff of air fluttering his bangs. Everything moved so _slowly_. Why couldn’t his hair be longer already, or why couldn’t Rei be faster about commenting on it? Or, if he was wishing, he might as well dream big- Rei could definitely be faster at realizing that Nagisa was cute and wonderful and perfect-for-him and so ready to be kissing his stupid face.

Nagisa covered his eyes with his hands and groaned. He was going to have to up his game.

He’d never spent much time trying to maintain order when it came to his hair. He washed it, of course, but that was about it. Now, though, he was prepared to take as much time in the mornings as he needed to make himself look as disheveled as possible. That was what he’d have to do in order to achieve Maximum Rei Frustration.

All kinds of hair products had accumulated in the bathroom cabinets over the years, thanks to his sisters. He studied the bottles one at a time, squinting at their labels and gingerly sniffing the contents until he found something he liked. Setting aside the strawberry-smelling creme (and making a mental note to use it another time), he opted for something that advertised itself as unscented, with medium hold. Perfect for inconspicuously mussed hair.

He didn’t really know what he was doing, but that never stopped him from doing anything before. He squirted a bit into his hands, working into his hair until it stuck out at gloriously strange angles, making sure to keep it looking like it was an accident.

Pulling a few curls down to get in his eyes, he considered the idea that this was maybe too much effort, but he shook the thought away. The direct, persistent approach had worn Rei down when it came to joining the swimming club, but this (whatever this was) was more important. As much as he sometimes felt like running up to Rei and kissing him hard and shouting “DATE ME,” until he accepted, that didn’t feel right. It felt selfish, and pushy, and not beautiful (he wasn’t totally sure what beauty was to Rei, but _oh oh oh,_ he hoped he was on the list). What he wanted was for Rei to realize what all his own blushing and sputtering and stern _Nagisa-kun_ -ing meant, and make a move. For Rei to kiss Nagisa because he liked him, because he wanted to, and not because Nagisa wore him down.

But somehow wanting _that_ felt selfish too, which was confusing. He scrunched up his nose and held up a hand mirror behind himself to get a look at the back of his head, trying not to think too hard about it. Thinking too hard about things made him nervous. Things were always easier when he was doing something because it felt good to do. And this plan felt good to him. He just felt like if he gave Rei more opportunities to touch him, maybe something would click.

Plus, he thought as he added a final volumizing fluff to a flyaway curl at his cheek, he hadn’t been able to get Rei’s fingers out of his mind since it happened. He could almost still feel them, slow and tingling against his scalp, when he called the memory back. It made his breath turn shaky and his eyelids flutter and his heart feel like it was doing too much thumping for his chest to hold. He wanted it to happen again, and again, and again.

And so here he was, running late to meet Rei and catch his train because he needed his hair to be perfectly terrible looking. Frustratingly, messily, tantalizingly needing to be fixed. He practiced looking up innocently through the strands in front of his eyes. Perfect. He winked at his reflection once before remembering that time and train schedules and school and things that weren’t the subtle machinations of wooing Rei existed. He yelped, grabbed his backpack off the bathroom floor, and ran out the door.

\- - - - -

The train was just pulling in when Nagisa arrived, giddy and out of breath, to the station. He watched as Rei scanned the platform for him, stepping aside to let other passengers on. Rei was waiting for him! His stomach did a little flip at that. Smiling, he took a deep breath and jogged over to where Rei was standing.

Nagisa had prepared himself. He’d thought about all the ways Rei could possibly react to the sight of him, but the thrill that shook its way up his spine as Rei’s eyes widened when he turned and saw him still caught him off guard. Rei looked like he’d just stepped barefoot on a pinecone and was trying not to make a big deal out of it.

Wonderful!

Nagisa tucked his mouth into its regular unassuming grin and bounded the last few steps up to him, hands clasped behind his back.

“Good morning, Rei-chan!”

Rei’s face was contorting itself into what he probably thought was a calm, neutral look, but his smile was pained, and Nagisa could tell he was holding himself back.

“G-good morning, Nagisa-kun.”

Nagisa stepped onto the train and turned to face Rei, whose feet were still rooted to the platform. His wide, slightly glazed eyes were fixed on Nagisa’s hair and his mouth was a tightly pressed line.

“ _Rei-chan_! The train is going to _leave_!” Nagisa said, reaching out to pull Rei in by the lapel through the train’s closing doors.

“Thank you, Nagisa-kun,” Rei said once they were safely inside, straightening his rumpled jacket. The train started moving.

Nagisa looked up at him expectantly. For a second, it looked like it was going to work. Rei was standing so close to him, which wasn’t particularly necessary on the not very crowded train. Rei lifted his hand toward him, saying "Nagisa, you-" But then he paused, his gaze shifting from wide-eyed surprise to a more self-conscious sideways glance.

_No no no he's second guessing himself!_

"Yes, Rei-chan?" Nagisa said, quickly, trying to keep Rei focused. He tilted his head to let a curl fall perfectly in front of his right eye.

"You...never mind." Rei dropped his hand, tucking it carefully into his pants pocket. He cleared his throat and nodded his head, like he was making a decision. He stepped back, widening the space between them. And then he was talking about something else, something normal and regular and not Nagisa, and Nagisa could barely force himself to pay attention. He had gotten so close. He had almost broken Rei's collected facade. Nagisa knew that when Rei was acting very, very calm, it was only because he was trying extremely hard to not say what he really wanted to.

Nagisa smiled, and laughed, and responded to what Rei was saying, but he was already thinking about what he would do next. There wasn't time to waste getting too disappointed, he thought, trying to shake off the heavy feeling of failure in his stomach. He was nowhere near out of ideas.

The rest of the day passed disappointingly normally. Rei was better than Nagisa had expected at self restraint, keeping his hands and comments to himself. Nagisa almost would have started to think the gel had done nothing obvious at all, were it not for Haru stopping him from leaving the locker room with an arm blocking the door and an affronted look at Nagisa’s hair, saying, “You’re not getting into the pool like that. Shower first.”

\- - - - -

After dinner he went shopping. He had unearthed some hair ties and clips in the dusty corners of the bathroom drawers, but they were leftovers from when he was younger and his sisters made him play dress-up for them. He wanted something different, something new and fresh and his. Plus, those weren’t even colors that suited him. At the beauty supply store he found sparkly ribbons and clips with hearts and stars and animals on them, and _so many_ different things with butterflies. After way too much deliberation (and the clerk asking him at least three separate times if he needed help), he settled on simple, metal, violet barrettes with small, deep pink butterflies printed on them. It wouldn’t do to be _too_ flashy.

He wasn’t totally sure if he wanted Rei to hate them or love them, he realized the next morning as he was clipping them into his hair (they made a satisfying thunk as they snapped into place against his temples). He’d be happy as long as Rei had some kind of reaction, though, any impulse to touch them with those stupidly well manicured long fingers of his. He shivered a bit, thinking about it.

\- - - - -

On the train the next morning, Rei was quiet. He spent a lot of time _not looking_ at Nagisa, his eyebrows furrowed and his thumb and forefinger on his jaw. This, Nagisa knew, was Rei’s ultimate pensive face. It wasn’t the immediate reaction he had hoped for, but it was something. Eventually Rei would stop thinking about what to say, and he would say it. Nagisa could be patient (for a while, anyway). He sat in the seat next to Rei, his hands neatly clasped in his lap, looking around as casually as he could. He pictured the morning sunlight glinting off the metal in his hair, and he smiled. Their original point aside, they were just so _pretty_! He liked the way he looked in them, and how they made him feel-more poised, in a way. And he _really_ liked the way the nervous exhilaration that settled in his guts flared up every time Rei looked at him when he thought Nagisa wasn’t paying attention.

It was like that all day. Rei talked to him, sure, but it was more what Rei did when he wasn’t talking to Nagisa than when he was, and the nervous thrumming in his body threatened to reach a critical point. He felt watched. With every cell of his body. It was thrilling.

\- - - - -

After swim practice, Nagisa was distracted as he put his clips back into his hair. He was sitting on the concrete, looking into the mirror he had balanced on his bag, brainstorming ways to up the ante the next day, and he wasn’t noticing the storm brewing behind Rei’s eyes.

Gou didn’t wait for Nagisa to finish before reaching out for the towel that was still draped around his neck. “Those are cute, Nagisa-kun, I meant to say so earlier!”

“Thanks, Gou-chan!” he responded, snapping the second one into place.

They had only just descended into a conversation about if a 100 yen store was a good place to find quality hair accessories when Rei, who had been leaning against the wall of the club room waiting for Nagisa to be done, interrupted with a scoff.

 _Finally_ , Nagisa thought, turning to Rei and asking as innocently as possible, “What, You don’t think 400 yen is a rip-off for plastic barrettes, Rei-chan?”

“No, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect to pay what a product is worth if you want quality, but that’s- that’s beside the point.” His voice was rising, and his cheeks and ears starting to flush. Rei was getting mad. Nagisa could feel the thrill of it in his belly, like they were standing on the edge of a cliff. He wanted to do it, to add the final poke to send him off the edge (it wouldn’t take much), but he was nervous. There was a lot riding on this, and he had to play it right. He didn’t want Rei to get for real angry at him. He never had before, but the idea that he could, maybe, was scary.

“What is the point then, eh, Rei-chan?”

“The point-” Rei stopped. His arms froze where he’d lifted them, mid-gesticulation. He looked like he was trying to remember if he’d had a point to begin with. “You wouldn’t _need_ them in the first place, if you’d just cut it, like you said you would.”

“Oh,” said Nagisa, smiling and tilting his head to the side, letting a curl fall in his face, “I’d forgotten!”

Rei’ eyebrows knitted together and he shook his head, disbelieving. “A haircut is not difficult to come by, Nagisa. I don’t know why you’re avoiding it, but I can tell you’re doing it on purpose, I just don’t know _why_.”

Nagisa hadn’t planned this far ahead. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to that, because he hadn’t expected Rei to recognize how deliberate he’d been. He didn’t get the chance to try and respond, though, because Rei was on a roll. His hands were now balled in fists at his sides, and his chin was high. And he was _loud_. “It isn’t even hard! Anyone who’s studied the way hair composition works should be able to do it! Your hair is curly, too, so precision would be less of an issue, even considering the cowlick you have above your left eye-”

Feeling his pulse rush at that, Nagisa reached up to feel the place where his hair stuck out. Rei had _noticed_ it, he thought, had _spent time_ thinking about it. Nagisa’s cheeks burned.

“Why don’t _you_ just cut it then, Rei?” Gou interrupted, smiling helpfully.

Rei yelled back immediately, his eyes still fixed on Nagisa, “Fine, I _will!_ ”

They were silent then, except for the sound of Rei, catching his breath.

Nagisa sat there, stunned (for once) into silence. Rei was still staring at him, but the angry lines around his eyes had faded into something else Nagisa wasn’t sure of. Fear, maybe? He didn’t think Rei had meant to volunteer himself for this, but then again, he hadn’t expected it either. He realized Rei was waiting for a response.

“Oh… okay then.”

The giddy rush of the reality of the situation tingled up his neck, and he smiled. Rei’s face softened immediately, and Nagisa’s smile widened, at that.

Rei was going to cut his hair. This was better than he could have imagined, and he wasn’t even totally sure how it had happened.

Their eye contact finally broke when Gou waved a hand between them. “Get moving or you’ll miss your train!” she said, gathering up her things to leave. She paused just before rounding the corner out of sight, and winked. “Have a good weekend, you two.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE HAIRCUT ITSELF, FOLKS.

Nagisa stood outside Rei’s door for a few minutes before he knocked. He’d waited for an opportunity like this for so long, but now that it was actually here, he was nervous.

He’d woken up early that morning, his stomach immediately in knots, a grin already plastered on his face. He’d lain there, picturing what it was going to be like in a few hours- Rei fussing over him, his hands in his hair. Groaning, he’d flopped onto his face and kicked his feet in excited impatience.

But after a morning of pacing and mirror checking and maniacal giggling, he was here. In front of Rei’s door. Nagisa straightened his shoulders, gave his hair one last fluff, and knocked on the door. He had barely rapped his knuckles once before Rei opened it. He wasn’t even late, but Rei must have been waiting for him just on the other side. His stomach fluttered, at that.

“Ah, Nagisa.” Rei spoke formally, like he hadn’t been standing by the door waiting for his arrival. He cleared his throat and stepped aside, “Please come in.”

Nagisa crossed the threshold gingerly, taking care to leave his shoes neatly in the corner by the door. He looked around, trying to take everything in. He’d been over to Rei’s place countless times, of course, but it was always just for homework dates, or to watch videos of olympic swimmers. Even if it was a surprise, fun visit, him armed with cake and ready to distract Rei from whatever he’d been doing, it was never for anything like this. Everything around him was the same as always- neat and orderly and pretty (very Rei)- but it still felt _different_ , like whenever Nagisa would finally leave the place later on in the evening, it would be changed for good, and so would he.

He tried to bury that lingering sense of finality, and pulled a grin back onto his face and looked at Rei, who was in the middle of telling Nagisa his refreshment options for the afternoon, or something like that. Nagisa wasn’t really thirsty, or listening.

“Rei-chan, I hope you studied up on your technique! I’m ready whenever you are.”

Rei paused, halfway through his hospitable ramble about the various juices in his refrigerator, and shut the door. “Ah, hm, yes, well I will just make tea, then, and we can get started.”

Nagisa nodded, and hoisted himself up on the counter next to the stove to wait. He wondered if Rei would yell at him to get down, but instead he just gently pushed Nagisa’s legs to the side, shifting him to make space for the cups he was setting out. Nagisa watched him. Rei was not really looking at Nagisa much, instead focusing intently on what he was doing with his hands. His movements were deliberate and calm, but Nagisa could tell the evenness in his breathing was calculated. He was nervous, too, Nagisa realized.

Eventually, after what felt like several ice ages punctuated only by the adorable muttering of Rei as he searched for a tray to carry the tea on, it was time to move. Nagisa followed him into his bathroom, where Rei had set up everything ahead of time. There was a stool, and a big towel and a small one, a comb, some scissors, a cup of water and a spray bottle, as well as a broom and dustpan leaning against the corner next to the shower.

“Well,” Rei said, setting the tray down on the counter by the sink and looking, finally, into Nagisa’s eyes, “Are you, ahem, ready to get started?”

“Of course!” said Nagisa, perching on the stool expectantly. He wiggled a bit, getting situated. Up until this point, he had been keeping himself distant, knowing he didn’t need to be pushy for bodily contact, because it was about to be given to him. Now, though, with the towel and scissors in Rei’s hands, and Rei’s eyes on him, analytical and poised, Nagisa was ready. So ready for it, he thought he would burst if Rei took a moment longer. And the way Rei was _looking_ at him wasn’t helping. He was studying Nagisa like he was a puzzle about to be solved.

Trying to speed up the process, Nagisa took off his shirt and made to throw it out of the room. Rei took it from him, though, and folded it neatly, placing it out of reach of any falling hairs. He draped the towel over Nagisa’s shoulders and ran a finger against Nagisa’s nape, freeing the curls that had been trapped by the cloth. Nagisa closed his eyes at the touch.

“I am going to give you a respectable haircut, Nagisa-kun, if you’re agreeable.”

Nagisa opened his eyes, one at a time, looking up at Rei’ reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Respectable?”

Rei nodded. “Short, out of your face, clean. I think you’ll realize it is the best option, if you weigh all the variables. You won’t need to get it cut again for a while that way, and it will be easier to put it all up on your swim cap, also.”

 _Respectable._ The word echoed in Nagisa’s head. He should have thought of this, but he hadn’t. He’d been so focused on getting Rei to touch him that he hadn’t considered what it would mean for himself when he did. That, of course, getting a haircut would mean no longer having longer hair. He liked the way he had looked, and especially the way he had felt, when he’d had the barrettes in his hair. He wanted to be pretty, still, and the idea that his definition of pretty might not match with Rei’s stuck in his throat.

He considered trying to needle Rei into something a little less severe, but the soft pressure of Rei’s fingers on his neck won out in the end. And it was only hair, after all. It would grow back in a few months, if he wanted it to. He knew that getting Rei to accept things took time, and slow phases of coaxing. He would never have gotten this far if he hadn’t known that.

“That sounds fine, Rei-chan” Nagisa said, and smiled. He was almost convinced he meant it.

Rei nodded and took a deep breath, placing his hands on Nagisa’s shoulders. “Nagisa-kun, I…” he trailed off, and Nagisa held himself still, waiting. His heartbeat quickened. “I wanted to thank you for allowing me to do this, and for trusting me. I assure you I am taking this task very seriously. I do not think you will be disappointed.” He said it very quickly, like it was a thing he had rehearsed. When he finished, he smiled to himself at having succeeded in getting it out. Affection surged through Nagisa.

“Rei-chan, of course!”

He would have said more, probably, but then Rei’s hands were in his hair, so everything else happening in his brain stopped. The soft tugs against his scalp and the small, rhythmic, metal _shhhink_ of the scissors were the only things his mind could process, for a moment.

Nagisa gathered himself. He wanted to cement this feeling in his mind, so he needed to pay attention. Rei’s hands moved steadily as he made small, precise cuts. It shouldn’t have been surprising, since Rei never did anything halfway, but the sureness of his movements was impressive. Nagisa wondered how much studying Rei had done. He tried to peek out the open bathroom door at Rei’s bookshelf to see if there were any new books on hairdressing.

“Keep your head still, Nagisa-kun.” said Rei, gently correcting his pose with a hand on Nagisa’s jaw, steering his head back to face forward. Nagisa flushed.

It was a little embarrassing how easily Rei had him enthralled right now. He’d started this whole project feeling completely in control. He had been so sure he knew how to get what he wanted from Rei, and now that it was happening (minus the kissing, of course), he found himself incapable of doing much wooing at all. Really, he was incapable of doing much of anything that wasn’t watching Rei’s reflection in the mirror, fidgeting in his seat, and trying to calm his thudding heartbeat.

He was thankful for Rei’s slow, deliberate process. He wasn’t sure if this was something he’d be able to have again, and he wanted it to last as long as possible. He watched as Rei snipped off the inches. The blonde curls fell around him, and his hair began to take shape, turning from an unruly, amorphous mess into something neater. Nagisa could see all of his ears, again.

Rei had started with the sides, and then the back, and was finally moving on to the top. He moved around Nagisa methodically, muttering things to himself under his breath. Nagisa closed his eyes, and listened, and felt. When he hadn’t felt Rei’s hands on him for a good twenty seconds, he opened his eyes.

Rei had stepped back, looking at his progress with a thumb and forefinger on his chin. He shook his head, the disapproving _tsk_ sounding in the back of his throat. He twirled the scissors around his index finger like they were a gun and he was a cowboy, catching them at the end of their spin without even looking. He absently tucked them in his back pocket, leaving both hands free. The movement was fluid, and _cool,_ Nagisa thought. It was something Rei would have been proud of doing, had he noticed he had done it. He hadn’t, though. His attention was focused solidly on Nagisa’s face, and the way his hair was framing it.

Nagisa flicked his eyes to Rei’s hands as he pocketed the scissors, following them back up to his face. Nagisa was being so _still_ , and it was so _difficult_ to be so still. He wanted to stretch, to stand up, to have a turn running his fingers through Rei’s hair. He knew he couldn’t do any of that for a variety of stupid reasons, so he settled for reaching up to brush some stray hairs off his itchy nose. Rei wordlessly swatted his hand away, though, which just made him want to do it again.

Rei moved in front of Nagisa, bending down until their faces were level. Nagisa sucked in a breath, trying to maintain his statuesque posture. Rei’s face was so unbearably close to his. His lips were parted, and his breath was warm on Nagisa’s cheek. Nagisa was going to die, because _how could Rei not know?_ Nagisa was staring straight ahead at him, but Rei was focused on the swoop of hair that fell over the right side of Nagisa's forehead. The one that had, only yesterday, been pinned up with a violet butterfly barrette. Rei carded his fingers through it, and again, and then a third time. His eyebrows pulled tight together, and his thin lips pressed against each other.

“Rei-chan, is everything okay?” Nagisa asked, trying to keep as still as possible.

“Yes, ah,” Rei met Nagisa’s gaze then, and seemed to realize what he’d been doing. He cleared his throat and stood up, blushing. “I am simply planning my next steps. Don’t worry."

He walked back to his original place behind Nagisa. Nagisa looked at him in the mirror. His face was still studious and calm. Rei made a few more snips at the sides of Nagisa’s hair, by his ears. Then he ran his fingers once more through each part, testing the evenness of it, Nagisa guessed. His fingers were slow, his nails like electricity against Nagisa’s scalp. When he got to the length at the front, his fingers slowed even more. When they reached the end of the lock, he wrapped a curl around his pointer finger for a moment, and then let his hand fall, grazing Nagisa’s jaw on the way.

Nagisa had been staring at Rei’s reflection the entire time, but Rei’s eyes had been busy with Nagisa’s hair, and he hadn’t looked up in a while. He looked up then, though, as his hand fell to Nagisa’s shoulder, and he made eye contact with Nagisa in the mirror.

“I, um. I believe I am finished.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU GUYS, I did it! I posted another chapter in under a month! This is big, for me, haha. I have a decent part of the last chapter done, too, so hopefully I will get it done sometime soon. Thanks to everyone who commented or sent me tumblr messages. Encouragement helps so much, aah. Also, thanks to the lovely [Autoeuphoric](http://archiveofourown.org/users/FreezingRayne) for her wonderful beta skillz.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got distracted by life and other fandoms for two years, but I have ALWAYS wanted to finish this. I am not sure why the inspiration struck this weekend, but it did. I dunno if anyone still cares about this fic (I hope someone out there still does, weh), but just in case, I hope you enjoy the end to this thing! I still love these two so, so much ;_;

Rei brushed the stray hairs off Nagisa’s shoulders with his long fingers. It was a painfully slow movement. Nagisa’s shoulders felt like parts newly installed in his body, never touched before in his whole life. He watched in the mirror as Rei bent down behind him, realizing what he was about to do only a moment before he did it. Nagisa did not have time to prepare himself. 

Rei leaned in and blew, gently, on the nape of Nagisa’s neck, dislodging the loose hairs that were still stuck to him. Nagisa’s nerve endings, already on high alert, sent waves of joy and terror up to his brain. He gasped and closed his eyes. 

“I think you look good, Nagisa-kun.”

Nagisa’s brain was white noise. He knew he should say something in return. He should compliment Rei on a job well done, or at least, you know, look at his reflection and assess that it was actually a job well done (which, of course it was--Rei-chan did it, but he’d been too busy watching Rei’s face to pay attention to how the haircut actually looked). 

Rei-chan had _complimented_ him, and he had _blown on his actual neck with his actual lips only a few inches away_ , and Nagisa’s mouth was unable to turn the mush in his mind, the vibrations of joy tingling down from his neck, into coherent words. 

“Umm. Perhaps you would like to rinse off the rest of the hairs? You’re welcome to use my shower.”

When Nagisa forced his eyes open, Rei’s reflection was staring at him, smiling nervously. All he could do was nod. 

Rei opened a cabinet and handed Nagisa a towel. Their fingers brushed when he passed it over, and for a moment they just stood there, looking at each other. Nagisa’s heart pounded.

“Right,” Rei said, clearing his throat, “I’ll just. Wait outside until you’ve, um, finished.” Then he turned, sharp, and walked out the door.

It was bizarre to be using Rei’s shower. Nagisa had never done it before. Usually when he came over after swim practice, he’d have showered in the clubhouse first, and even on the delightfully nerve wracking occasions he’d been invited to stay over, he had just waited until he’d gotten home the next day.

This just felt different, and intimate in a way he hadn’t expected, because this shower was not a team bathing space. It was where Rei took regular Rei-chan showers, all my himself, washing with the sensible soap Nagisa found in a little basket suction-cupped to the tile. The image formed in Nagisa’s mind unasked for, and a blush threatened to overtake him. He leaned his face into the stream of water and shook his head, trying to rid himself of it.

He tried to focus on Rei, fully clothed, sitting outside the bathroom waiting for him. He wondered what he could be feeling right now. He’d seemed so calm, so solid, during the whole thing, but Nagisa’s silence after was probably not building up any confidence. Nagisa thought about making him wait, building it up more, but he had long since abandoned his schemes. Now he was just anxious to see himself in the mirror, and to see Rei. He sighed and turned off the water.

The mirror was only a little fogged, but Nagisa didn’t look too closely. The desire to see how it had turned out was so strong, but he was nervous, too. He wanted to wait until he had his clothes back on to look at himself.

 _I hope I look pretty_ , he thought, before he could stop himself. He scowled, pulling his shirt over his head. Rei’s idea of a good haircut would probably be sensible, not pretty. The desire to be both what he wanted to look _like_ and also what Rei wanted to look _at_ were chasing each other in circles in his brain. It was confusing. He dried his hair vigorously with his towel.

When it was as good as it’d get without waiting for it to air-dry (always all this _waiting_ ), Nagisa took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and turned toward the mirror. When he opened them, he gasped. Mostly because it felt like the moment for it, but he _did_ look different. Older, even. He straightened his spine. The sides were shorn close to his head, his ears uncovered. He ran a hand up the nape of his neck, and the hairs were short enough to feel bristly against his fingers. It was shorter even than Rei-chan’s hair back there.

The short sides ran up to the top of his head, getting longer as they went up, until, oh, curls! He ran his fingers through them, pulling them up to measure a good 8 centimeters of length left, at least.

Rei cleared his throat on the other side of the door, and Nagisa jumped, the curls dropping from his fingers to fall across his forehead. “I assume you’re decent by now. May I come in?” 

Nagisa looked around hurriedly, not sure what to do with his body. He settled on perching on the edge of the counter, legs swinging and crossed at the ankles. “Yes!”

Rei’s face was not good at masking what he was feeling, and that was one of the things Nagisa liked the most about it. Or, maybe, it was just that Nagisa was good at figuring it out, which he liked even better. When Rei walked in the door, his face was mostly nervous; a tightly pulled mouth trying to look casual. He probably thought he was making his eyes look calm, but they were soft and wide and hopeful and Nagisa forgot to breathe for a second because he knew the hope was about _him_ , a thing he could fill up if he wanted (which he _did_ , oh, he did). Rei-chan made him want to ask him for everything but also give him everything, too, and--

“What do you think, Nagisa-kun?” Rei asked, shaking Nagisa from his heart-shaped thought spiral. He was leaning against the doorframe, hands clasped together, fingers fidgeting. 

“It’s wonderful!” Nagisa stretched his arms out, making instinctual grabby motions with his hands, and Rei followed the instruction, walking straight into the hug. “Thank you so much, Rei-chan,” Nagisa mumbled into Rei’s chest, because, even sitting on the countertop, Rei was significantly taller. 

“I’m so glad you find my work acceptable. I wanted to...I wanted to do you justice.” Nagisa could feel him relaxing under his arms. He slid them down his back as Rei stepped away, just slightly. Nagisa’s thigh was still barely touching Rei’s hip

Nagisa looked him in the face. He wondered whose blush was redder. He knew he had to say something now, but it was hard, after that compliment. Nagisa was adept at dragging attention out of people, but not nearly as practiced at receiving it by surprise. He could feel the tears pricking at his eyes. He took a deep breath, because he had to know.

“Rei-chan, I was wondering,” Nagisa asked, pulling at Rei’s shirt pocket.

“Yes?”

“I just noticed that you left the front a little long-” 

Rei’s eyes widened in surprise, and maybe offense, so Nagisa spoke faster, just in case, touching his cheeks in soft, quick, reassuring pats, “No, no, I love it! It wasn’t bad to do, Rei-chan! I was just surprised, is all. And I wondered why you did it?”

“I...ah,” Rei looked away and pushed up his glasses, shifting his stance uncomfortably before looking, his eyes low and embarrassed, back at Nagisa, “I decided that…” he cleared his throat, and continued, “I decided that I did like the barrettes, after all.”

Nagisa stifled a gasp with his fingers. That wasn’t what he had expected, but, oh, it felt like his heart would seize, hearing it. Like there were a hundred, a _million_ , hummingbirds flitting around in his chest. "Rei-chan, do you think I'm...do you think they're pretty on me?" 

Rei opened his mouth and took a deep breath like he was going to speak again, but then shut it. He made a decisive sounding huff noise, nodding to himself, and leaned in, kissing Nagisa lightly on the cheek. 

Nagisa’s chest could no longer hold the hummingbirds, so he didn’t try to keep them in. He grabbed Rei’s face and brought it to his own, kissing him, hard and sweet, on the mouth. It was difficult to do, because he was laughing, and maybe definitely crying, but it was still the best thing he’d ever done. He was sure of it. Rei kissed him back, his hands soft on Nagisa’s jawline and his tongue wet against his lips. He shivered, and kissed him again, and again. 

When he pulled back to breathe, Rei hugged him, and he burrowed into it happily.

“Rei-chan?” he asked, after more than a few moments of quiet.

Rei made a warm, distracted noise into Nagisa’s hair in response.

“The hair on the floor is bothering you, isn’t it?”

Rei snapped his head up, and blustered “No, no it’s no matter. I wouldn't let a little thing like-”

Nagisa cut him off, grinning. “You want to sweep it up, don’t you, Rei-chan?”

Rei smiled, and sighed, defeated. “Very much.”

Nagisa laughed, and kissed him, because that was a thing he was allowed to do, now, and the knowledge of it burst into fireworks in his heart.

“You do that, Rei-chan,” he said, hopping off the counter and tiptoeing around the fluffy piles of hair on the floor and out of the bathroom. He looked at Rei over his shoulder as he left. He was standing, lips pink, hair mussed, reaching dazedly for the broom. Nagisa giggled, and winked as he stepped outside the door. “I’ll be waiting.”

**Author's Note:**

> Gah if you have comments/criticisms/anything, please let me know. I've started the next chapter, but motivation is helpful, haha. 
> 
> Also, here's my tumblr if you're interested-niceiceprince.tumblr.com


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